Glynn Posted May 17, 2019 Report Share Posted May 17, 2019 Im looking for a new GI, with an indicator/gauge, any recommends ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 17, 2019 Report Share Posted May 17, 2019 (edited) Have a look at these: https://www.safeshoremarine.com I've had a 70amp model with status monitor on my boat for the last 14 years. If you're spending more than about 100 quid on a GI you may as well go through whole hog and get an isolation transformer. I think they start at around £250. Edited May 17, 2019 by blackrose Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 Wow! The Airlink isolating transformer has shot up in price... £356 + VAT. It makes the Sterling ABYC GI a bargain at only £292! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackrose Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 3 hours ago, WotEver said: Wow! The Airlink isolating transformer has shot up in price... £356 + VAT. It makes the Sterling ABYC GI a bargain at only £292! Yes, I thought the Airlink IT was a lot cheaper than that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted May 18, 2019 Report Share Posted May 18, 2019 2 hours ago, blackrose said: Yes, I thought the Airlink IT was a lot cheaper than that! It used to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUMPY Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 (edited) On 18/05/2019 at 13:20, blackrose said: Yes, I thought the Airlink IT was a lot cheaper than that! It was £180 inc vat when I got mine in 2006 A sensible person would buy one of these https://airlinktransformers.com/product/enclosed-isolating-industrial-transformer-wm3602 And re-case it, this is in effect what mine is as it was pre plastic potting. Edited May 21, 2019 by Loddon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix_V Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 4 hours ago, Loddon said: It was £180 inc vat when I got mine in 2006 A sensible person would buy one of these https://airlinktransformers.com/product/enclosed-isolating-industrial-transformer-wm3602 And re-case it, this is in effect what mine is as it was pre plastic potting. or this if you are going to recase it https://airlinktransformers.com/category/chassis-mounting-toroidal-transformers-standard-range?input_voltage=230&output_voltage=230&va=3000 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonesthenuke Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 27 minutes ago, Phoenix_V said: or this if you are going to recase it https://airlinktransformers.com/category/chassis-mounting-toroidal-transformers-standard-range?input_voltage=230&output_voltage=230&va=3000 Or these which are cased and designed for boats https://airlinktransformers.com/category/boating-transformers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix_V Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 10 minutes ago, jonesthenuke said: Or these which are cased and designed for boats https://airlinktransformers.com/category/boating-transformers because it is for boats it is twice the price, it is potted in epoxy so will run hotter and if a component fails unrepairable as everything is encapsulated damhikt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted May 21, 2019 Report Share Posted May 21, 2019 25 minutes ago, jonesthenuke said: Or these which are cased and designed for boats https://airlinktransformers.com/category/boating-transformers Which brings us back to £356 + VAT 54 minutes ago, Phoenix_V said: or this if you are going to recase it https://airlinktransformers.com/category/chassis-mounting-toroidal-transformers-standard-range?input_voltage=230&output_voltage=230&va=3000 You’d just need to add the thermistor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GUMPY Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 (edited) 8 hours ago, jonesthenuke said: Or these which are cased and designed for boats https://airlinktransformers.com/category/boating-transformers Its the same transformer back in 2006 I contacted airlink and sugested they made a plastic caaed version of the 3.6kva transformer for use on boats. It was only about £30 more than the bare transformer then ETA I use one like this instead of a thermisstor http://www.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F263727499334 Edited May 22, 2019 by Loddon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix_V Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 (edited) 8 hours ago, WotEver said: You’d just need to add the thermistor. https://airlinktransformers.com/product/protection-upgrade-ta512 After adding this I noticed Loddon's post and wonder what would be the benefits of his more complicated circuit albeit cheaper! Edited May 22, 2019 by Phoenix_V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenevers Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 I take it these are only needed for boats that are using land lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix_V Posted May 22, 2019 Report Share Posted May 22, 2019 41 minutes ago, jenevers said: I take it these are only needed for boats that are using land lines. yes and metal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adorabelle63 Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Just started a search for a gi and got your thread here- none of this makes any sense to me lol I live on my boat on land right now and use the landline electric- I am going into the water at long last at the end of this month so need to get a gi ASAP- I was asking for recommendations as Safesure do so many options I don’t want to waste money buying an expensive one if the cheaper model will do the job - does anyone know what the difference is between the basic £99 and the next one up at £155 is and does it matter? thanks for any info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hider Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 £56. A transformer is better but much more. I know its not CE and all that but you can make your own for £4 and it works. Its not rocket science, just diodes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adorabelle63 Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 I just got bogged down with the science lol (I am NOT thick ( actually maybe I am!) but am definitely well confused now.....) thanks though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Brooks Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, hider said: £56. A transformer is better but much more. I know its not CE and all that but you can make your own for £4 and it works. Its not rocket science, just diodes. And the maximum fault current and minimum duration this £4 DIY GI will stand before failing is? adorabelle63 - Ignore this topic down this far please. To answer your question. GIs can and do fail when subjected to a fault current so although testing them is not difficult at what appears to be your present level of knowledge I would advise that you need one with some form of monitor built in. That way you can just glance at it on a regular basis to satisfy yourself it is still working properly. The "gold standard" is to look for one built to the ABYC standard. there is as far as I know no EU standard. The ABYC standard should minimise the risk of the device failing if a mains fault develops on your boat. Non-ABYC GIs may work perfectly well but then again they may fail in an instant if a fault develops. If a GI fails it will fail in one of two ways. One way simply removes all the protection but the mains still work. The other way the hull can become live and no fuses will blow. Tha tfailure mode could kill. Edited June 11, 2019 by Tony Brooks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hider Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 I wonder why I bothered posting on here. I thought I may be able to help, seems that at every turn I am wrong. I know why my mate Sam bu**ered off now. I never suggested that with their limited knowledge the OP made their own. And to answer what current under fault conditions my cheapy alternative £4 GI would stand, at least 45 Amps. As to how long, well the mains would have tripped long before the diodes got even warm. But just ignore me and I'll stop posting then you could all continue with the inane childish clown postings instead. How utterly boring. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post nicknorman Posted June 11, 2019 Popular Post Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, hider said: I wonder why I bothered posting on here. I thought I may be able to help, seems that at every turn I am wrong. I know why my mate Sam bu**ered off now. I never suggested that with their limited knowledge the OP made their own. And to answer what current under fault conditions my cheapy alternative £4 GI would stand, at least 45 Amps. As to how long, well the mains would have tripped long before the diodes got even warm. But just ignore me and I'll stop posting then you could all continue with the inane childish clown postings instead. How utterly boring. No sorry you are wrong and giving advice that could be dangerous. Your £4 job will do the trick under normal circumstances since the current through the diode will be nothing. Right up to the point when there is a major electrical issue, whence it will become either short circuit or open circuit. The former is bad, the latter worse. A live to earth short can cause thousands of amps to flow through the GI. This will melt a tiny semiconductor junction within a 45A diode in microseconds. Much quicker than an MCB will trip. This is why GIs cost a lot more than £4 and ones that meet the ABYC standard, very much more. Getting angry about it doesn’t make you seem or be any more right! Just do your research and you will find out the facts. Edited June 11, 2019 by nicknorman 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WotEver Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 2 hours ago, hider said: just ignore me and I'll stop posting Oh please do 2 hours ago, hider said: I thought I may be able to help, seems that at every turn I am wrong. Much like ‘your mate’ Sam then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Brooks Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 2 hours ago, hider said: I wonder why I bothered posting on here. I thought I may be able to help, seems that at every turn I am wrong. I know why my mate Sam bu**ered off now. I never suggested that with their limited knowledge the OP made their own. And to answer what current under fault conditions my cheapy alternative £4 GI would stand, at least 45 Amps. As to how long, well the mains would have tripped long before the diodes got even warm. But just ignore me and I'll stop posting then you could all continue with the inane childish clown postings instead. How utterly boring. If my post is the one you consider an "inane child posting" then why did you not answer my question? Could it be because you have no idea. 45 amps is more or less zero amps when compared with the potential fault current that can and flow from the mains if a short develops. You will be looking at thousands of amps. The time the GI will stand the fault current is also important because there will be a time delay while the RCD decides to trip. Maybe a very short one but still long enough to destroy most readily available diodes at the price you quote - you do not even mention the need for an adequate heat sink. While I accept you probably posted in good faith I do not accept that anyone promoting potentially lethal ideas can be allowed to do so unchallenged. You have to remember not everything you see on the internet is true or well informed. If you do your research and then come back quoting respected sources to show the £4 GI is safe then I will apologise but until then I fear it is you that really should apologise for your outburst. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hider Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Not angry at all, If you can't discuss anything without being personal, too bad . Bye bye Children find a new creche. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicknorman Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 1 minute ago, hider said: Not angry at all, If you can't discuss anything without being personal, too bad . Bye bye Children find a new creche. Noted that you have a complete absence of any sort of technical response attempting to justify you fallacious position, your response being only childish insults. So Good riddance. No room on here for sulky teenage girls posing as someone with any clue about technical issues. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuthound Posted June 11, 2019 Report Share Posted June 11, 2019 Hider, or should I say Sam, instead of getting upset when people correct you, try to learn from it. In a previous thread on GI's I explained why a short circuit can potentially allow up to 4600 amps to flow. Read it and learn. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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